Separating fluids

ABSTRACT

Separator for immiscible fluids having a closed end and an outlet spaced along an axis, a separating medium arranged with inlet and outlet faces generally parallel to the axis so that fluid having passed through the medium flows along the axis toward the outlet, and a multiplicity of flow-directing surfaces arranged adjacent one of said faces to direct fluid entering said separator in a direction having a component along said axis toward said closed end.

United States Patent [191 Gernhardt [s4] SEPARATING FLUIDS [75]Inventor: John William Gernhardt, Tulsa,

Okla.

[73] Assignee: Fram Corporation, East Providence,

[22] Filed: Feb. 12, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 115,027

[52] U.S. Cl... .....210/448, 210/497, 55/DIG. 37 [58] Field oiSerirch.B0ld/27/00; 210/483, 484, 488, 210/489, 497, 323, 456, 457, 458,418, 407,

448, 348; 55/498, 510, DIG. 37

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,823,760 2/1958 Andersen..55/500 X 1,462,343 7/1923 Jenkins ..SSIDIG. 37

[ 1 Apr. 3, 1973 2,063,743 12/1936 Kamrath ..210/484 X 2,732,026 1/1956Folts ..55/510 9/1970 McPherson ..210/489 X Primary Examiner-ReubenFriedman Assistant Examiner-F. F. Calvetti Attorney-Robert E. l-lillman57 ABSTRACT Separator for immiscible fluids having a closed end and anoutlet spaced along an axis, a separating medium arranged with inlet andoutlet faces generally parallel to the axis so that fluid having passedthrough the medium flows along the axis toward the outlet, and amultiplicity of flow-directing surfaces arranged adjacent one of saidfaces to direct fluid entering said separator in a direction having acomponent along said axis toward said closed end.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SEPARATING FLUIDS This invention relates toseparation of immiscible fluids, especially as carried out incoalescer-separator assemblies that dehydrate jet aircraft fuel.

Objects of the invention are to make possible a high rate of fluid flowthrough a separator, with minimum housing size and minimum pressureloss, while causing the fluid to utilize generally uniformly the entiresurface area of the separating medium.

In general the invention features a fluid separator with a closed endand an outlet spaced along an axis, a separating medium arranged withinletand outlet faces generally parallel to the axis so that fluidhaving passed through the medium flows along the axis toward the outlet,and a multiplicity of flow-directing surfaces arranged adjacent one ofsaid faces to direct fluid entering said separator in a direction havinga component along said axis toward said closed end. In preferredembodiments the flow-directing surfaces are provided by a cylindricallouvered perforated center-tube having generally rectangular openingsthree-eighths inch (axial dimension) X 1/16 inch on three-eighths inchcenters in staggered rows, the center distance spacing between rowsbeing three-fourths inch, with the louvers having an average slope tothe axis of about 25 percent.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment taken together with the attacheddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially broken away, of acoalescer-separator;

FIG. 2 is an axial section of a separator cartridge;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section through a louver; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a louvered center-tube, in unrolled form,broken away.

Referring to the drawings, coalescer-separator is a device of thegeneral type described, e.g., in US. Pat. No. 3,48 l ,476, and includesa number of separator cartridges 12 between inlet 14 and outlet 16.

Each cartridge 12 (FIG. 2) has a cylindrical metal center-tube (length11 inches, inside diameter 3.5 inches) surrounded by and in partsupporting a cylinder 22 of a conventional medium (e.g., fine meshscreening) used to separate water from jet aircraft hydrocarbon fuel,the medium being pervious to the fuel but not to water. Solid end cap 24closes one end of the cartridge, and annular end cap 26 provides anoutlet 28 at the other end.

Center-tube 20 has 420 generally rectangular openings 30 measuringthree-eighths inch along axis 32, and one-sixteenth inch along the tubecircumference, located on three-eighths inch centers around thecircumference in staggered rows (see FIG. 4), the center-distancespacing between rows being threefourths inch. Flaps 34 punched from theopenings extend inwardly by 0.1 inch at their free ends 36, eachtherefore having an average slope to axis 32 of about 25 percent.

In operation, as liquid passes through cylinder 22 and tube 20, fromoutside to inside, flaps 34 act as flowdi'recting louvers and cause theliquid to initially flow towards the closed end of the separator,thereby opposing the main flow inside the separator along axis 32 towardoutlet 28. Since the velocity of that main flow increases with its axialdistance from end cap 24, the resistance met b liquid passing throughopenings 30 in opposition to e main flow varies correspondingly alongaxis 32. Therefore, more liquid tends to flow through the portions ofcylinder 22 near end cap 24 than would be the case in the absence of thelouvers, thereby counteracting the usual tendency of the liquid tofollow the path of least resistance and utilize disproportionately theportion of the medium nearest outlet 28. As a result, generally uniformutilization of the entire surface area of the separating medium isobtained, in a manner consistent with high flow rate per unit area, andlow pressure loss.

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are withinthe following claims. 7

What is claimed is:

l. A fluid separator comprising a closed end and an outlet spaced alongan axis, 7

a separating medium arranged with inlet and outlet faces generallyparallel to said axis so that fluid having passed through. said mediumflows along said axis toward said outlet, and

a multiplicity of flow-directing portions secured to structure fixedwith respect to said closed end and arranged adjacenteone of said facesto direct fluid entering said separator 50 as to have a velocity havinga component directed along said axis toward said closed end.

2. The separator of claim 1 wherein said flow directing portions areflaps of a louvered tube.

3. The separator of claim 2 wherein said tube is a cylindricalcentertube which at least partially supports and is radially inward ofsaid medium.

4. The separator of claim 2 wherein said tube has generally rectangularopenings with their largest dimension parallel to said axis.

5. The separator of claim 4'wherein said openings are arranged instaggered rows and said louvers have an average slope to said axis ofabout 25 percent.

I a: a a: w

1. A fluid separator comprising a closed end and an outlet spaced alongan axis, a separating medium arranged with inlet and outlet facesgenerally parallel to said axis so that fluid having passed through saidmedium flows along said axis toward said outlet, and a multiplicity offlow-directing portions secured to structure fixed with respect to saidclosed end and arranged adjacent one of said faces to direct fluidentering said separator so as to have a velocity having a componentdirected along said axis toward said closed end.
 2. The separator ofclaim 1 wherein said flow directing portions are flaps of a louveredtube.
 3. The separator of claim 2 wherein said tube is a cylindricalcentertube which at least partially supports and is radially inward ofsaid medium.
 4. The separator of claim 2 wherein said tube has generallyrectangular openings with their largest dimension parallel to said axis.5. The separator of claim 4 wherein said openings are arranged instaggered rows and said louvers have an average slope to said axis ofabout 25 percent.